Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the 'Bangladesh Business Summit' on Saturday to expand the country's trade and investment.

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the 'Bangladesh Business Summit' on Saturday morning," FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin said at a press conference on Thursday.

Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) is organising the three-day event at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the city.

Ministers from seven countries including the UK, Saudi Arabia, China, Bhutan, the United Arab Emirates, CEOs of 12 multinational companies and more than 200 foreign investors and business leaders from 17 countries of the world are going to participate in the summit.

The event is being organised as a part of the FBCCI's 50th founding anniversary celebrations with the aim of creating new opportunities for trade and investment by showcasing the country's economic potential before a global audience.

FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin said the summit will highlight the success stories that have set the foundation for Bangladesh's sustainable growth.

"This summit will play an important role in tapping Bangladesh's full economic potential, expanding trade and attracting investments," he added.

Jashim Uddin said business representatives from both home and abroad are having to pay considerable sums as a registration fee to participate in the event.

"This shows that people are very interested in the business environment of Bangladesh. They want to start their business here and so, we have to take this opportunity," he added.

Jashim Uddin said, "The country didn't have such a capacity of attracting investment in the past. But, such capacity has now been created.

“Companies like Walmart and Zara have made their presence in Kolkata. Now, the time has come to step into Bangladesh. Apart from creating high export potentials, the local consumer market has also been expanded," he also said.

Mentioning that the countrywide 100 special economic zones are now more visible than in the past, he said that there is a need to project such capacity as the government has been prioritizing the facilitation of business to move the economy forward.

"Some 750 people have already registered for the summit. Apart from this, a number of people will attend the summit without registration," he also said.

Jashim Uddin mentioned that the summit will showcase dynamic business investment opportunities and improvements to the local business climate while also giving insights on investment priorities of global investors to improve policy-making.

The summit will also facilitate the exchange of success stories and good practices among investors, he added.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Commerce Ministry and the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) are partnering with the FBCCI for the summit.

There will be three plenary sessions on strategic issues, 13 parallel sessions, business-to-business meets, networking sessions, open house reception and guided tours for international delegates.

The summit will feature the "CNN Experience", which will consist of a series of thought-leadership sessions focusing on the country's business climate, investment opportunities, and future sustainable impetus.